Transcript Highlights:

• the legislature and to the public.
• In Texas, implicit bias training is required for new police officers.
• So I've also had implicit bias before coming to the University of Texas.
• I am the presiding judge of County Court at Law No. 6 here in Travis County, Texas.
• You know, obviously the legislature has to pass these.

Bills: HB 1181 , HB3704 , HB1363 , HB1610 , HB1615 , HB1620 , HB3223 , HB1317 , HB2884 , HB2176 , HB4027 , HB1664 , HB933 , HB2613 , HB3353 , HB2086 , HB4101 , HB3441 , HB4145 , HB3455

Committee: House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:

• The first is our field guide to the taxes of Texas, which I'm. up here for you.
• So I think it's a way that the legislature has.
• If you include all of Texas Education Agency funds...
• So Texas may have improved in these rankings since that time.
• Texas has the seventh highest property taxes in the country.

Committee: House Ways & Means

Transcript Highlights:

• I was state of Texas and now my daughter.
• legislature after a decennial census.
• The people of Texas have spoken through testimony.
• Show Trump and the Republicans how Texas, here in Texas, we really get down. Show them who you are.
• Why is Texas bending the knee?

Bills: SB 2 , SB 5 , SB 9 , SB 7 , SB 17 , SB 4 , HB4 , HB1 , HB3 , HB20 , HB22 , SB9 , SB7 , SB17 , SB4 , HB4 , SB2 , SB5

Transcript Highlights:

• Created by the legislature in 1856, the Texas School for the Deaf is the longest continuously operating
• public school in Texas.
• The Texas Legislature strongly opposes the creation of a central bank digital currency and urges federal
• The Texas Legislature acted last session to ensure uniformity in local regulations, and SB 1036 builds
• Texas Strip, we're in the middle of changing things.

Bills: SB1036 , SB1566 , SB1664 , SB2268 , SCR5 , SCR8 , SCR9 , SCR32 , SCR46

Committee: House State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• It will still be our electors, we choose, speaking for the people of Texas and I yield. Thank you.
• Texas does it very well. Even the states that we may not agree with politically do it.
• Constitution. of Texas and the United States.
• So SB 707 is a vehicle through which the legislature can assert that responsibility.
• Tom Glass, Texas Constitutional Enforcement, and we are in... favor of this bill.

Bills: SB18 , SB19 , SB666 , SB688 , SB707 , SB888 , SB 18 , SB 19

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• And the closest in Texas is 345 miles away at Texas Tech.
• of Texas goods year after year.
• It's a strategic move for Texas.
• I'm from Texas also kind of the same story from Texas with the Los Angeles.
• Let's just keep Texas, Texas, and with that I close.

Bills: HB1784 , HB2088 , HB3062 , HB3475 , HB3741 , HB4279 , HB4763 , HB5154 , HB5294 , HB5508 , SB1401 , HB232 , HB232 , HB232

Committee: House Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 8 is the Texas Women's Privacy Act in the same form that it passed the Texas Senate floor
• , the people of Texas, and women of Texas want this bill. ...in order to protect their privacy.
• I'm here to let folks know that the Texas legislature may be run by a bunch of bigots.
• Because it's not on Texas Legislature Online yet, and here we are having a hearing about it.
• There's currently no text available for SB. on the Texas Legislature Online website.

Bills: SB6 , SB7 , SB8 , SB11 , SB12 , SB13 , SB15 , SB 6 , SB 7 , SB 8 , SB 11 , SB 12 , SB 13 , SB 15 , SB 17

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a problem across the state of Texas, and this legislature needs to fix this problem.
• Ben Martin, Texas Housers.
• Ben Martin: I represent Texas Housers. Texas Housers. Chairman Bell: Thank you.
• Texas should be next.
• And Texas is Texas.

Bills: HB21 , HB211 , HB223 , HB323 , HB524 , HB530 , HB636 , HB762 , HB21 , HB211 , HB223

Committee: House Intergovernmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• We just don't do it here in Texas.
• Relations for Texas Values.
• To Texas hospitals.
• Nora Cox, Texas Health Alliance.
• The Texas legislature facilitated many right to try successes before federal right to try legislation

Bills: SB95 , SB268 , SB493 , SB619 , SB660 , SB922 , SB984 , SB1098 , SB1188 , SB1307 , SB1332 , SB1822

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• The chair recognizes Charles Skoma, representing the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature. Thank you.
• You are with the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature and you are testifying for the bill. I am.
• As your representative of the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature, as you...
• ... ...and Texas have readability issues.
• As Speaker Pro Tem for the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature, I'm here to ask for your support.

Bills: HB304 , HB401 , HB556 , HB1475 , HB1489 , HB2259 , HB2424 , HB2773 , HB2811 , HB3323 , HB304

Committee: House Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• Health and Human Services Commission to the Texas Veterans Commission.
• We also have a resource witness from the Texas Veterans Commission. Mr.
• I'm the legislative director for the VFW Department of Texas.
• A lot of the Venn diagrams come together here for the great things that Texas does for this.
• House Bill 39 requires the Texas Department of State Health Services to provide the Texas Veterans Commission

Bills: HB39 , HB 114 , HB1875 , HB1894 , HB1965 , HB2513 , HB39 , HB114

Committee: Senate Veteran Affairs

Summary: The Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs heard several House bills related to veterans’ services, mental health, military leave, burial access, suicide data, and Veterans Month. House Bill 114 would transfer administration of certain veterans’ mental health initiatives from HHSC to the Texas Veterans Commission, create a TVC grant program for community-based mental health services, require a statewide veteran suicide prevention action plan, and mandate annual reporting. A committee substitute was mentioned, but members said they were not prepared to adopt it yet. No one testified for or against the bill, and it was left pending. House Bill 1965 would direct TVC to study ways to expand access to mental health services through the military veteran peer network, including increasing peer support coordinators, with emphasis on rural communities and broader use in veterans treatment courts. Support testimony came from the Texas VFW, which emphasized the value of peer-to-peer support and the network’s role in suicide prevention. The bill was left pending after testimony. House Bill 2513 would clarify military leave rules for state-employed firefighters by counting their 24-hour or 48-hour shifts appropriately so they do not have to use vacation time to fulfill military duty; a firefighters’ representative testified in support, and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard House Bill 1875, which would require the General Land Office and TVC to study veterans’ burial needs, access to cemeteries, and cemetery operational needs, and House Bill 39, which would require DSHS to provide TVC de-identified death certificate data when a veteran dies by suicide or homicide to improve understanding of veteran deaths. The Texas VFW supported HB 39. House Bill 1894 would designate November as Veterans Month in Texas. All of these bills were left pending, and members indicated they were waiting on committee substitutes before voting, with possible action later on the floor or in committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• That would affect Texas and Arizona, but far more Texas than anywhere else.
• Both Texas U.S. senators, as well as many others in the Texas congressional delegation on both sides
• The Arizona State Legislature has already passed a resolution similar to what we're asking the Texas
• legislature to pass.
• Legislature.

Bills: HCR108 , HCR127

Committee: House S/C on International Relations

Transcript Highlights:

• The Texas property.
• It says here you're testifying on behalf of the Texas Silver Herald legislature and yourself for the
• Taylor, you're with the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature.
• And you're testifying for yourself and the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature for the bill. Correct?
• I'm testifying on behalf of the Texas.

Bills: HB557 , HB732 , HB1892 , HB1954 , HB2301 , HB3180 , HB3405 , HB3650 , HB3758 , HB4035 , HB4621 , HB4795 , HB4870 , HB5069 , HB5137 , HB5149

Committee: House S/C on Family & Fiduciary Relationships

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, Jonathan Covey, Texas Values, testifying in favor of SB 965.
• But I think we should make it clear that we want to see the impact on Texas.
• For example, the impact on businesses in Texas, right?
• Blake Roach, the record shows you're here on behalf of Texas Farm Bureau.
• This rule was announced... ...by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 2024.

Bills: SB231 , SB667 , SB689 , SB825 , SB965 , SB992 , SB1059 , SB1220 , SB2368 , SB2601

Committee: House State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• The Texas Supreme Court, if you're not familiar with the Texas disposer of service limited versus Travis
• The Texas Supreme Court, as you are aware, is some of the brightest minds that are in Texas today.
• I also serve as an adjunct professor. at the University of Texas School of Law teaching Texas property
• The Texas Supreme Court opinion in that came out in the Texas Disposal Systems case last summer created
• This Texas legislature, this committee, and Chairman Turner, you all have been so dedicated to. trying

Bills: HB1952 , HB3258 , HB3524 , HB3851 , HB4478 , HB4613 , HB4703 , HB4742 , HB4744 , HB4809 , HB4864

Committee: House S/C on Property Tax Appraisals

Transcript Highlights:

• So, really, a game-changer for Texas. We're very fortunate.
• Texas legislature funded these ballistic windshields, and when we interview our recruits Why are you
• It's the support from the legislature and the leadership and the citizens of Texas, so it puts us in
• So in Lubbock, Texas, we don't have a problem.
• Texas is REAL ID compliant. We're about 98, 99 percent.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles I, IV, & V

Transcript Highlights:

• But it just shows that the Texas Legislature cares about state troopers.
• They're coming to DPS because they feel like the Texas Legislature, the state leadership, and the Governor
• But really, the 10-hour workday has really, really saved us in East Texas, West Texas, and the Texas
• We can hire people in South Texas and West Texas.
• The Texas Legislature, when they gave us the 500 troopers for the border, they were spread out, so we're

Bills: SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee heard a presentation from the Legislative Budget Board on the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Article 5 budget. LBB recommended $3.7 billion in all funds for 2026-27, a 5.2 percent decrease from the base, while FTEs would rise by 856.7. Major items included funding for driver license services, DPS facilities, troopers and recruit schools, crime labs, vehicle and aircraft operations, border security, and rider changes. The committee also reviewed DPS exceptional items not included in the recommendation, including additional staffing, technology, and facility requests. Members focused heavily on driver license operations, criticizing long wait times, call abandonment, and repeated staffing increases without clear process improvements. LBB said the agency’s call-answer rate was about 9 percent in fiscal 2024, with average hold times around 34 minutes, later reduced to roughly 22-25 minutes. Senators questioned whether more FTEs alone would solve the problem and urged a broader efficiency study and better use of technology. DPS officials said they were pursuing process changes, including appointment-system upgrades, online pre-population of forms, and remote issuance options, while noting that Real ID requirements and population growth continue to drive demand. DPS leadership then outlined the agency’s priorities: completion of the Williamson County training academy, recruitment and retention of troopers, capital needs for vehicles and aircraft, and expanded responsibilities at the Capitol complex and the Alamo. Officials said the new trooper funding would help address staffing shortages, public safety, and border operations, and that overtime and deployment patterns had been adjusted to reduce burnout and improve flexibility. They also discussed Operation Lone Star, saying DPS spending is largely overtime, travel, and fuel, and that the agency continues to coordinate with federal partners while awaiting clarity on possible federal reimbursement for border security costs. Senators also raised concerns about oilfield theft, cartel activity, high-speed pursuits, bilingual pay, and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, and DPS said it would follow up on some of those issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• Historically in Texas, going back 30 years, Texas started moving to Medicaid managed care.
• And Texas falls within that.
• Well, in Texas, 209 Texas hospices are exceeding 100% of their cap rate.
• Texas is also unique.
• Texas is also unique.

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Charlotte Mulder with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
• Texas. Pretty good. Outstanding. Outstanding.
• Under the Texas Official Oppression Act, the Texas Attorney General is authorized to take legal action
• if they don't act and the legislature is in disagreement with their inaction.
• I'm trying to think through, it's one thing for Texas to pass laws that apply to Texas, but the subjective

Bills: HB186 , HB201 , HB229 , HB796 , HB1506 , HB2702 , HB2885 , HB3225 , HB3909 , HB4285 , HB5138

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2015, the Texas Legislature exempted transit authorities from the tax imposed on compressed natural
• I am the Deputy Director of Texas A&M Forest Service.
• That includes the other areas of those East Texas areas, Bastrop, and obviously some of the South Texas
• The Texas ESF emergency...
• of Texas.

Bills: SB868 , SB1337 , SB1371 , SB1377 , SB1426 , SB1620 , SB2064 , SB2065 , SJR4 , SJR 4

Committee: Senate Finance